


Playing Games

by Sunstar77



Series: The Girl and Her Mercenary [9]
Category: Firefly
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-06
Updated: 2018-02-06
Packaged: 2019-03-14 17:50:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,685
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13595229
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sunstar77/pseuds/Sunstar77
Summary: "We're going to play 'let's see how quiet River can be'."





	Playing Games

Jayne crept along the hallway, cursing silently. River had somehow convinced Mal that a crew wide game of hide and seek would be fun. Now he was looking for a good hiding spot. Just past the staircase, he found a larger smuggler's compartment. Jayne moved the concealing panel out of the way.

"Get out. This place of concealment is already occupied," River whispered indignantly when Jayne squeezed inside and replaced the panel.

"Tough." His body stood inches from hers in the tight space. "You're the one who suggested this _feng le_ game."

She tried to turn away and pout, but that put her side in contact with Jayne's body. She ended up just glaring at him.

Jayne put a hand on the wall next to her head, leaning in closer than he already was. "What's a matter little girl? You scared of the big bad merc?"

River snorted. "Hardly. Simply do not want to share a space with you."

"Tough," he repeated. "Yer stuck with me until the game's done."

River didn't answer him and they fell silent for a few moments. Standing this close to her, Jayne couldn't help but notice that River was wearing a sundress with thin straps. He didn't recognize the dress. _'Not that I pay attention to the crazy girl's clothing,'_ he quickly thought.

"That a new dress?" he whispered.

River narrowed her eyes at him and nodded. "Simon procured it for me when he and Kaylee when shopping." She crossed her arms, inadvertently drawing attention to the low cut of the bodice of her dress. "Why?"

He raised his hand to her shoulder and let his fingers trail down her arm. "I think I like it."

She shivered and turned around with a flounce. "Do not lay hands on arms."

He grinned. He was obviously getting to her. Jayne snaked an arm around her waist and pulled her back against him. "I think you like having me lay hands on you." His hand splayed over her stomach, pinky finger stroking back and forth.

"This is not how the game is played. You should find alternate hiding spots," she protested. Jayne noticed, however, that she hadn't broken his hold on her.

"You like games. I think we should play a new game," he breathed the words into her ear and she shivered again.

"What game?" she squeaked out.

He chuckled warmly, the sound vibrating through River's body. "We're going to play 'let's see how quiet River can be'." His hand slowly pulled one side of her skirt up.

She leaned back against him. "Rules. Games must have rules."

He continued to raise her skirt. "This game only has one rule. It's real simple. I touch you and you have to stay quiet. If you make any noise, you lose." His hand rested on her bare thigh now, stroking the skin with the tips of his calloused fingers.

River nodded. "Do not like to lose, so I will be silent. Easy."

Jayne slid his hand over her thigh and between her legs. She wasn't wearing any underthings. He laughed, remembering that day in the kitchen. "I still haven't proven Jayne's not a girl's name, have I?" he asked. She shook her head vigorously, but didn't speak. He slipped a finger between her folds, feeling the wetness there. He pressed a finger inside her and she inhaled sharply.

Jayne reached down with his free hand and swept River's hair to the side, giving him access to her neck. He wrapped that arm around her waist and lowered his lips to her skin. He drew his finger up to brush against her clit. She pushed back against him as he began to slowly circle her clit. 

Her breath hitched as he continued his maddeningly slow pace, touching her softly, his mouth moving over the sensitive spot below her ear. As her breathing sped up, his fingers moved faster. Jayne pressed his finger against her clit harder and River let out a breath that was slightly louder and higher pitched than normal.

"What was that?" Jayne whispered in her ear. River shook her head, biting her lip. He laughed softly. "That's what I thought." He could feel her body tensing up as he stroked her. Her hips were moving against his hand, her head thrown back against his shoulder.

When she came, her body shook and bucked against his. He held her up with the arm around her waist. He continued touching her as she came down from her orgasm. Jayne pressed a kiss to the rapidly beating pulse point on her neck and pulled his hand away, letting her skirt fall back into place. He wiped his fingers on his trouser leg.

"Did I win?" River whispered, her head still resting on his shoulder.

"Yeah, Crazy. You win." He turned her around, switching arms around her waist. He noticed a spot of blood on River's lower lip and wiped it away with his thumb. "What's this?"

"Any means to stay quiet. I don't like to lose." Her voice was still quiet.

"Baby girl, you bit your lip to stay quiet? Don't do that again," Jayne ordered. River nodded, looking down. Jayne lifted her chin and kissed her quickly, barely a peck on the lips. "Don't hurt yourself for me. Ever."

"I like this game. Can we play again sometime?" River asked, her cheeks still flushed. 

Jayne nodded, forgetting they were supposed to be hiding. "Sure we can, Crazy." He wanted to say something more when the access panel opened. Jayne and River sprung as far apart as they could get.

Mal and Simon appeared in the opening. "Here she is, doc," Mal said over his shoulder.

" _Mei mei_ , what are you doing in here?" Simon held his hand out to help River exit the compartment.

"Hiding. It is the primary objective of the game when one is not 'it'," River said, her tone that of a person explaining hide and seek to a small, stupid child.

Jayne climbed out after her. "The game over?" he asked Mal.

The Captain nodded. "Kaylee found everybody but you two, so the doc and I said we'd go lookin'."

Simon was fussing over River. " _Mei mei_ , River, what's this? Did that ape put his hands on you?"

Jayne momentarily panicked, until he saw Simon peering at River's bleeding lip. She didn't say anything. Mal looked at River, then glared at Jayne. "You hit her Jayne?"

He glared back. He thought quick, not wanting Mal or Simon to find out what had happened between him and River. "Yeah, so what? She was crazy-like, prattlin' on about nonsense. It was damagin' my calm."

River stared at him in disbelief. Simon growled and launched himself at the merc. "You boorish, ill-bred, brutish ape! How dare you put your hands on my sister."

River grabbed his arm at the last moment, holding him back. "The ape-man did not mean it. Leave him be, Simon."

Mal turned back to Jayne. "I think you need to go to your bunk and stay there for a while, Jayne. Don't come to supper."

Jayne opened his mouth to say something and then thought better of it. He pushed past Mal and stomped off to his bunk with a sidelong glance at River.

* * *

Lying on his bunk, Jayne tossed and turned. He couldn't believe Mal had sent him to his room without supper, like a little kid. All 'cause he didn’t want the doc to bother the girl. The line of thought disturbed him. He wasn't supposed to like River, let alone make her come in a smuggler's compartment and then cover for her.

The hatch to his bunk opened. He closed his eyes, praying it wasn't Mal. The way he felt right now, he was likely to do something that would get him kicked off this boat.

Soft footsteps padded in his direction. "Jayne?"

It was River. He opened his eyes. She stood near the small table, a tray in her hands. "What'd you want?"

"I brought sustenance. You were deprived of it because of me. It is the least I can do." She set the tray down and turned to him, looking uncomfortable. 

He sat up. "What is it?"

"Why did you tell Simon and the Captain a falsehood? A cover story had been prepared when you spoke." She took a few steps toward Jayne.

He shrugged. "Yer brother woulda dragged ya into the infirmary and wanted ta check y' out. You don't need that." She sat down next to him, startling him. He hadn't heard her cross the room. "Gorramit, girl. Make some noise when you walk around here. 'S not nice to sneak up on someone."

"Apologies. Thank you for lying for me." Her hands twisted in her skirt, legs swinging.

"How's yer lip?"

"Better. See?" She turned and lifted her head in his direction. The spot that had earlier been bloody was almost invisible now. He lifted his hand to her face, thumb gently brushing over her lip.

"Yeah, all better," he murmured and leaned down to kiss her. The kiss was like the one they'd shared in the kitchen that day she'd let him out of the storage closet, only better, 'cause Mal wasn't going to walk in and interrupt them. He encouraged her to open her mouth and slipped his tongue into her mouth. She responded eagerly, crawling onto his lap to be closer to him. His stomach chose that moment to growl.

River giggled and pulled away from Jayne. "I will come back later, when dreamland is populated. The bear wants sustenance." She climbed off of his lap and skipped to the ladder.

Jayne got to his feet. "Girl?" River turned back to him expectantly. "Yer coming back?"

She nodded. "Promise. Maybe we can play a new game."

"What game?"

"Let's see how flexible River can be." A devious smile crossed River's face. She climbed the ladder quickly and was gone. 

Jayne laughed and sat down at his table to see what she'd brought him to eat. He had a feeling he might need his strength for later.


End file.
